Exclusive! Malavika Mohanan says she would love to work with Shah Rukh Khan

Doe-eyed Malavika Mohanan made her debut in 2013 with Pattam Pole opposite Dulquer Salmaan. Directed by renowned cinematographer Alagappan, the film won her notice. Few would know that films actually happened to her by chance. “My dad (cinematographer K U Mohanan) was shooting an ad with Mammootty. I went to meet my favourite actor. He was casting for his son, Dulquer, then. He recommended me for Pattam Pole. So it was Mammootty sir, who actually got me into cinema,” she smiles. Her next venture was Nirnayakam (2015) and narrated the tale of arrogance of those in power. Naanu Mattu Varalakshmi (2016), The Great Father (2017) and the recent Naale (2018) have been her other films down South. Though she is from Payyanur in Kannur district, Malavika lived in Mumbai too. Naturally, Hindi cinema was her destination next. And when she got the chance to play the lead role in acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s first Indian production, Beyond the Clouds, she was ecstatic. As is known, top names like Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut were reportedly bandied around for the role of the slighted-by-destiny Tara. “For me this happened quickly,” she smiles.

Five days before the shoot began for Beyond The Clouds, the team was still casting. Honey Trehan, the casting director, called Malavika to his office and told her that he was casting for a Majid Majidi film. Nevertheless he cautioned her saying, “Don’t set your hopes up, because a lot of other stars have already done a look test and are contending for the part.” Malavika says, “I was okay as it wasn’t even a fair competition. It wasn’t like it’s between me and other newcomers.” He briefed Malavika on the character and asked her to interpret it in her own way and get some pictures clicked in getup. This is where her father, renowned cinematographer, K U Mohanan (has worked on Jab Harry Met Sejal, Raees, Don and Fukrey) helped her out. “I dragged dad to Madh Island village, where he did a photo-shoot for me. We sent it to Honey sir,” she narrates. Soon, she got a call saying Majidi wanted to meet her. The next day, an excited Malavika met him in the same getup that she had donned for the photo shoot. “Everything happened in a span of three to four days. One day I was woken up with a call from Honey sir saying, ‘It’s done. You’re on.’ I came on board and the shoot started immediately. It all happened so fast that there was no time to register it,” smiles Malavika.

What did Majidi notice in Malavika that he signed her on? “Much later, he told me that he saw the character in me. That’s what it should be about and that’s what I respect him for. It’s a norm to run behind big star names, which is fair because that’s how the money comes in for most films. But he didn’t have the pressure of having to cast a star. He was free to choose and he believed that I fit the character.” As mentioned, she plays Tara, a young girl from the slums of Mumbai, whose world comes crashing down when she is accused of attempted murder and is separated from her younger brother, played by Ishaan Khatter. The braveheart story of triumph amidst trials has a universal appeal. It required great emotional skills as well. Malavika barely had a week to prep for her character. “Thankfully, I had watched Majidi sir’s films and was aware of his brilliance,” she says adding, “I had studied world cinema in college. Plus my father is a lover of world cinema so there were a lot of DVDs (of films by Louis Bunuel and Michael Haneke) at home. So, I’ve grown up watching world cinema including Majidi sir’s films.” Also, Malayalam cinema had shaped her liking for realistic cinema as her parents often watched these at home. She was particularly fond of powerhouse actresses like Shobana and Manju Warrier. Her mother, Beena Mohanan, being a writer Malavika developed a taste for reading as well.

Speaking about her experience working with the legendary Majidi, she shares that the genius filmmaker doesn’t speak Hindi or English. “All communication between the artistes and him took place via the translator. After a point, we went beyond words and language. With his mere expressions, we would know what he expected out of us. He’s so good with the psychology of women. For the same scene, his instructions to Ishaan would be completely different from his instructions to me, based on what kind of people we are. It was to get a certain kind of acting out of us. He’s a master at doing that. He can read people and figure out what he should do to make an actor cry, or emote in a particular way,” she points out. She adds, “Every film teaches you different methods of acting. There was a long scene in Beyond The Clouds, which had many layers and emotions. I did that scene around 14 times but still I wasn’t getting it right. The next day we started with the same shot. Anyone else would have given instructions on how to do the scene, what to do what not to do. But Majidi sir didn’t say a word. The fact that he wasn’t telling me anything made me so anxious. That very emotion helped me perform the scene well. His approach to things is unique. It’s been an experience of a lifetime, a surreal experience.” Malavika elaborates on her emotionally exhausting role, “You just need to play with your imagination. It’s worked for me so far. You have a back-story for the character. And at the end of the day, basic human emotions remain the same whether rich or poor. Each actor has their own method for emoting.’’ Reportedly to get the physicality of her role right, she lost several kilos within 15 days to look like an inmate. She also went to the extent of not washing her hair for 10 days to get the grime quotient right.

Malavika’s mighty impressed by her co-star, Ishan Khatter. “Actually, I’m jealous of him because he’s too good for his first film. He’s so committed that even if it was my close- up shot, and he was nowhere in the frame, he’d still stand there and emote just as dedicatedly. It helped me perform better. He’s so talented. I kept telling him, ‘You’re too good for your first film, don’t do this to the rest of us,” laughs Malavika. Also, being daughter of a famed cinematographer, she must have received useful tips regarding facing the camera. Malavika laughs and says, “Nothing at all. Sometimes, I yell at him saying you never tell me anything. After the film is released, he points out, ‘This hairstyle doesn’t suit you, you should try something else.’ I tell him you know little things can make a difference. So why don’t you tell me in advance?” She elaborates, “You do make mistakes and then you learn. You cringe when you watch yourself on screen and then you say to yourself, ‘Okay, I’m never doing this again!” My father lets me do my own thing, which has its pros and cons.”

A lot has changed for her after working on Beyond The Clouds. She confides, “I’ve got a taste of the best now. Anything after this will be a step down. Whichever director I work with in the future, I will be comparing it with this experience.” The gritty character the young Malavika plays is a far cry from a glamorous one any debutante in Bollywood would aspire for. “I’d probably think about all these things for any other film. But if Majid Majidi offers you a film, you just do it. You’re lucky to get that chance. The industry is at a point right now where good actors are appreciated, talent is appreciated. I can always do glamorous films later. I hope Ishaan and I can change the trend by choosing debuts, which are not conventional and then go on to do all kinds of cinema,” she says. She dislikes labels like commercial cinema, art cinema or even multiplex cinema. “I just want to do films that excite me. I’d love to work with Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor,” she says unable to hide the blush.